Exercising and physiotherapy system

• US 7,309,303 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Proctor
• Original Assignee: Richard Proctor
• Inventors: Proctor, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons; Kevin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US10/757,272
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 482/36, 482/38, 482/41, 482/42, 482/74, 482/78, 482/91, 482/92, 482/95, 482/96, 482/121, 482/122, 482/123, 482125-127, 482/129, 482/130, 482/138, 482/139, 482141-143, 482/148, 482/907
• US Class Current: 482/121
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 17/00 Exercising apparatus combining several parts such as ladders, rods, beams, slides
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/04 attached to static foundation , e.g. a user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1218 Chinning, pull-up, i.e. concentric movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1227 Dips, i.e. push-ups in a vertical position, i.e. eccentric movement, e.g. between parallel bars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 3/00 Parallel bars or similar apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0035 on the spot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/907 Stretching

Abstract

An exercising system has a frame defining a space in which a user is positioned for performing a large number of different exercises. Frame members have holes within which flexible bars are positioned, spanning across the machine, for low-impact exercising using the bars. In a preferred embodiment the bar-supporting frame members, or some of them, are adjustable in position so as to provide a nearly unlimited number of positions for different users and for different exercises. A few of the many exercises facilitated by the system are described.

Claims

1. An exercising and physiotherapy system, comprising:

a frame defining a space within which a user can stand and is positioned for exercising,

a collection of flexible bars, essentially straight when unflexed and sufficiently flexible to bend when engaged in exercising movements by a user, including bars in a range of different stiffnesses,

the frame having bar support means for receiving and holding the bars, by engaging the bars near both ends of the bars, and for allowing the bars to pull and slide inwardly relative to the frame as the bars are flexed during use, and

the bar support means being in a plurality of locations on the frame for selectively positioning one or more bars in a multiplicity of different locations at different selected heights and different selected positions along a length of the frame for a plurality of different exercises for different exercising users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bar support means provides for receiving and holding the bars in both vertical and horizontal bar positions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible bars are formed of a hard plastic material.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plastic material is acetal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the bar support means comprises upright bar support frame members having series of holes into which the two ends of a bar are placed, such that two holes retaining a bar are positioned at corresponding locations at opposite sides of the frame.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the holes in the bar support frame members have beveled or rounded edges so as to prevent scraping and abrasion of the surface of the bar during use in exercising.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the bars are formed of a hard plastic material.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the bars have enlarged heads on their ends, smaller than the holes in the frame members so as to be insertable into the holes but substantially retaining the bar in the frame during exercising use.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the heads on the bars are only slightly smaller than the holes in the frame members, such that when a bar is in use and flexed under the force of an exercise, the bar will not pull out of the holes due to an obliquely angled position of the end of the bar in the hole, preventing the head from pulling through the hole.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the collection of flexible bars have varying flexibility, in a range permitting from about 1 pounds force applied at the middle of a bar when supported in the frame to obtain a three inch deflection at the middle, to about 400 pounds force applied at the middle of a bar when supported in the frame to obtain a three inch deflection at the middle.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein at least some of the bars further include an enlarged disc spaced inward of the enlarged head relative to the bar, at least near one end of the bar, the enlarged disc at one end of the bar being larger than said holes so as to block the bar from extending more deeply into a hole than the position of the disc.

12. The system of claim 11, including said discs spaced inwardly from both ends of the bar.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the bar support means provides for holding the bars in both vertical and horizontal bar positions, the frame including horizontally extending frame members having holes for receiving the bars in vertical position, and the discs supporting the bars from dropping further into the hole beyond the discs.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the upright bar support frame members extend between horizontal frame members of the frame and are adjustable in position along the length of the horizontal frame members.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the upright bar support frame members are slidably fitted between the horizontal frame members so as to permit horizontal sliding adjustment, and including releasable fastener means at one end of each moveable vertical elongated member, to lock the elongated member in a selected position.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the vertical bar support members have slide brackets at top and bottom ends of the vertical bar support members, the brackets being channel-shaped with channels open upwardly at tops of the bar support members and downwardly at bottoms of bar support members, and with the channels engaged over edges of the horizontal frame members so as to permit such horizontal sliding adjustment.

17. The system at claim 16, wherein the releasable fastener means comprises set screws with hand-operable knobs, the set screws being received in threaded holes in the slide brackets so as to engage against the horizontal frame member when tightened.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the releasable fastener means at one end of each moveable vertical bar support member comprises at least one set screw connected to a knob and rotatable in a threaded hole of the vertical bar support member, to engage against one of said horizontal frame members when the knob and said screw are tightened.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein the upright bar support frame members comprise vertical bar support members having series of holes, the vertical bar support members extend between horizontal frame members of the frame and are adjustable in position along the length of the horizontal frame members, and the horizontal frame members providing at least two different levels in which the vertical bar support members are connected.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the horizontal frame members provide three levels where the vertical bar support members are connected.

21. The system of claim 5, including at least four of said upright bar support frame members, to enable exercises in which the flexible bars are positioned on each side of a person during exercising.

22. The system of claim 21, including at least about twelve of the upright bar support frame members, each said bar support member having at least about six holes for different bar positions.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the bar support means provides for holding the bars in both horizontal and vertical positions, the frame including horizontal bar support frame members having holes for receiving ends of the bars between spaced apart pairs of horizontal bar support frame members so as to permit exercising with one or more vertically positioned bars.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the horizontal bar support frame members with holes are positioned such as to permit exercising the hands and arms with the user in a standing position.

25. The system of claim 1, further including a foot platform for supporting the weight of a user, the foot platform being connected to two of said flexible bars, said two bars being supported near their ends by the frame.

26. The system of claim 1, further including an angled foot platform secured to the frame, near an end of the frame, tilted toward said space defined by the frame, to facilitate certain exercises wherein the user'"'"'s body is in an oblique or generally horizontal position.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein some of the bars can support the full weight of a user with the bar suspended on the frame between bar support means at opposed ends of the bar.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the frame is at least about six feet in height and at least about four feet in width as measured between bar support means at opposing sides of the frame.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the frame is at least about seven feet in height.

30. The system of claim 1, including pairs of flexible bars of substantially equal stiffness.